Florida Stuck at 50th in Teacher Pay for Third Year in a Row as State Leaders Continue Legacy of Failure

Florida has—for the third year in a row—ranked 50th nationally in average teacher pay out of all 50 states and D.C., according to newly released data from the National Education Association (NEA).

Every Floridian wants to build a secure future, one where families can afford to comfortably pay their bills, provide for their health and ensure that their child receives a first-rate, world-class education. But instead of listening to the people they serve, too many lawmakers in Florida have repeatedly put special interests ahead of students, parents, and educators. For the past 20 years, Florida has systematically disadvantaged the state’s public education system while favoring unaccountable voucher and charter schools at the expense of public schools. As politicians weaken the very system they were elected to support, educators, families, and students have been left behind.

The latest data shows that while average teacher pay in Florida rose to $56,663 in the 2025-26 school year (a 3.3% increase from the year before), it hasn’t come close to keeping pace with inflation. Over the last decade, the average teacher salary actually fell 12.4%, when adjusted for inflation while Florida’s average teacher salary rankings have fallen from 47th to almost dead last in the nation. Meanwhile, education staff professionals, who are essential to school operations, are even worse off, earning just $34,645 on average  — well below Florida’s living wage of $63,853 for a family of one adult and one child to have a modest but adequate standard of living.

“In the past five years, my daughter has had her full roster of teachers for an entire school year only once. In 7th grade, she went half a year without a science teacher after hers left midyear. In 8th grade, she had no dance teacher during her final quarter of the year, and in 9th grade, she spent the first ten weeks without an English teacher. This year, her anatomy teacher left mid-year, and it took more than six weeks to find a replacement,” said Andrew Spar, President of the Florida Education Association. “These incidents are a disruption to her learning and, unfortunately, they’ve become the norm for far too many students across Florida. When public dollars are diverted away from public schools, and teachers can’t afford to stay in the profession, it’s students who lose. Public schools have been forced to cut essential services, lay off teachers and staff, and increase class sizes, all of which put students last.”

The latest rankings make one thing clear: Florida’s Governor and Legislature are failing public schools. When we account for inflation, per-student funding in Gov. DeSantis’ proposed budget is down nearly $300 since the first budget he signed into law in 2019.

Despite the Governor’s talk of “historic investment” in teacher salaries, when adjusted for inflation, the average teacher salary in Florida fell by more than $3,000 during Gov. DeSantis’ two terms. So far, that pattern shows no signs of changing: Florida has fallen to 41st in per-student spending this year, and both the Governor’s and the Legislature’s proposed budgets keep per-student spending flat, seemingly failing to deliver meaningful raises for teachers, and allowing Florida’s unaccountable voucher program to drain an estimated $4.5 billion from public school funding.  The Legislature has failed to pass a timely budget within the regularly scheduled session for the second year in a row, adding to the financial instability facing our schools and the teacher and staff layoffs seen across the state.

These impacts go beyond the K-12 system as well: In higher education, Florida ranks 12th in public four-year faculty salaries, but salaries for faculty at public two-year institutions, like in Florida’s robust state college system, are ranked 29th with a more than $40,000 difference between the two. When faculty salaries lag in Florida’s state colleges and universities, it makes it difficult to attract and retain talented professors, resulting in fewer course offerings, larger class sizes, and diminished academic support for students. Ultimately, the Governor and Legislature’s persistent failure to invest in public education—at every level—undermines student achievement and threatens the future of Florida’s communities.

Every day, educators at public schools welcome every child with open doors and open arms. Every child deserves access to a free, high-quality education, and accepting every child is an unshakeable promise educators make to their communities — one bound by Florida’s Constitution. But today, that promise is being broken and the consequences are real.

When Florida’s public education system is weakened, families feel it in their paychecks, their costs of living, and their ability to get and stay ahead. It also forces educators into an impossible choice: stay in a state that undervalues their profession, leave for better pay elsewhere, or leave teaching altogether. When teachers are overworked, underpaid, or driven out, students lose the stable learning environments they deserve — because teachers’ working conditions are students’ learning conditions. And if even one child is denied the essential resources, they need to thrive, Florida’s promise is broken, and Florida’s future is placed at risk.

To access the full data sets, visit feaweb.org/50inPay.